Nine Years After Tom Petty’s Death, Mike Campbell Reveals Why He Still Feels His Late Bandmate Beside Him

After a career with Mudcrutch, the Traveling Wilburys, and the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty sadly passed away in 2017 at 66. The news was shared only a week after celebrating the end of the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 40th Anniversary Tour. It was during that same tour that Petty suffered severe pain from a fractured hip. Using medication to hide the pain, on October 2, 2017, he died of an accidental overdose. And now, nearly a decade later, Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell admitted he was still with him. 

Speaking with The Sun, Campbell looked back at his career on stage. That career included more than Petty. After the singer passed, Campbell took his talent to the legendary group, Fleetwood Mac. From there, he continued to perform with his own band, the Dirty Knobs. But he never forgot the friendship he shared with Petty. 

“Tom was instantly unforgettable. Of course, he had the long blond hair, but he also had a swagger. He had this vibe around him of knowing where he was going – and he was smarter than anybody else in the room. The whole rock star thing came later.”

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Mike Campbell Learns To Cope With Loss Of Tom Petty

Aside from describing a young Petty as a “hippie dude,” Campbell recalled how they instantly connected over their passion for music. “We immediately connected as musicians. We had a similar dream: not to be rock stars, just to be professional and successful. The strongest influence on both of us was the whole British Invasion – The Beatles, the Stones, The Kinks, The Animals. We would draw on them our whole lives.”

That inspiration kept Campbell going for more than 50 years. And when remembering his late friend, he always knew Petty was close by. “I can’t believe it’s nine years. But as time goes on I’ve dealt with the grief better. I like to perform Heartbreakers songs to keep them alive – to remember and revisit my time with Tom. It is bittersweet, but there are moments when I feel his spirit. He’s right behind me, saying, ‘Go man, go!’”

For Campbell, the memory of Petty brought him both comfort and pain. But that was the price of friendship. “You might never get over the loss of your brother or your father or your mother or your best friend, but you learn to cope. That’s what grief is.” Thankfully, every time Campbell picked up his guitar, a part of Petty was still there, encouraging him. 

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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